No Gospel without Law, no Mercy without Wrath

and that is "That many of the things in the Bible simply never happened." They are tales, some designed to build a sense of People, many designed to justify a particular action, many somewhat distorted accounts of actual events, others just folktales.Can I suggest that you pick one such tale, Sodom or the Exodus or the Conquest or any other you might choose and we could then explain our individual understanding of it and how it realtes to the concept of Faith?

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Let's start if we can with this nugget. The answer is "Of course I do!" The basic tenet of Christianity is that each and every one of us will be judged based on our subjective judgments. That is at heart the difference between Christianity and Judaism. I see two possible areas where I disagree with the part quoted above. First, there is overwhelming evidence that many of the things in the Bible simply never happened or did not happen as described. This includes the Flood, the Garden of Eden, the Creation stories, the Exodus, the Conquest of Canaan, the Tower of Babel and many others.You may not accept the evidence, do not accept the evidence, but that has nothing to do with either the validity of the evidence or of the conclusions. Many of us do look at the evidence and find it compelling and in fact overwhelming and sufficient.The second issue is that religion and Faith are not based on fact but rather on a series of beliefs. I believe that the meaning of the parable of the ass on the Sabbath is true regardless of whether or not the incident happened. I believe the meaning of the story of Adam, Eve and the Fruit is true regardless of whether or not the incident ever happened. I believe the message of Jesus is true regardless of whether or not there ever was such a person.How is the meaning of the story of Adam, Eve and the Fruit different if it never happened?

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

What moral law? So far no one has shown an objective moral law, much less one that's changeless.Morality is certainly made and determined by people. Even you accept that. It changes over time and depends on the exact circustances in each incident.GOD, not Jesus, granted forgivness to ALL mankind, but with some very specific limitations. We are expected to try to Love GOD and to Love others as we love ourselves.Try. That's all, just try to do what's right.It really is as simple as that.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

I gotta say I don't have a clue what you mean by "Is the source of the Light pure? Original? (Thus, Objective, rather than subjective?)".I also have no idea why something being Pure or Original would make it objective.Judgements would most likely always be subjective. I'm not sure how you could have an objective judgement, perhaps an objective conclusion, but not really judgement. Not just Atheists, any and all non-Christians.The reason is that they are far less likely to be lead astray, as I believe most Christians are, from the message that GOD sent through Jesus.Think back to the discussion of the Way, how broad it is but the gate is narrow. He was talking to his followers. And I think his point is right. Most of his followers, Christians, will misunderstand the message. They will beluieve they are following the path and that the message is the non-Christians won't get through the gate. But that wasn't at all what I believe he was saying. It's the Christians that will have the hardest time getting through the gate.Jesus told his followers what they had to do and it was really simple; Love GOD and love others as you love yourself. But too many Christians get hung up on other things. They're out there worrying about whether or not someone else is sinning, whether or not someone else professes their belief, whether or not someone believes the Bible is literally true, al kinds of things that have nothing to do with loving others as you love yourself.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

I'm not familar with where Jesus said "If you do not believe that I AM, you will die in your sins." Can you point it out to me?As to the moral law, where is it? Can you post it here?

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

If they try to do right, that's all, just try to do right, they will be saved. They don't need to believe a word of the Bible is literally true, they don't have to profess a belief in Jesus, they don't have to be Christians, they don't even have to succeed. Just try.Love GOD and love others as you love yourself.It's really that simple.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Okay, I thought you were actually providing a quote, not paraphasing.If you read those you'll note that they all say "believe in GOD"From Chuckie Smith Yup.It's that simple, Love GOD and love others as you love yourself.So you are saying that the Moral Law you're talking about are those mentioned in the OT?

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

And those moral laws are what Christians should follow?

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

How do you distinguish between dietary or ceremonial law and moral law?

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

I have always thought her position on moral law for all is correct.The Moral Law as described in the Bible is found in the story of Adam and Eve. The meaning of that story is not some Fall, but rather a great rise for humanity.Humans know good and evil. All humans. Not Jews, not Christians, everybody. That is the Moral Law, try to do good, not bad.The stories of the destruction of the Canaanites is most likely folklore. It's very doubtful that GOD would actually destroy some piddling little town.Religion is a creation of Man. The Bible is a creation of Man. But it's also a pretty good record of many things. We may not know if Sodom ever existed but we do know that the Laws in the OT existed. They were written and codified.The Bible is a record of a growing bureaucracy. Having a Moral Law that said "Try to do what's right" is never sufficient for a bureaucracy. It wasn't sufficient for the early Hebrews. Instead they promulgated law upon law, attributing all to God.The message of Jesus is that all of the bureaucracy is not needed. The Moral Law is "Love GOD and love others as you love yourself." It is a message that ALL of the laws are subjective and that it really is YOUR responsibility to try to do what's right.That is the Gospel. The Good News is that the codified Moral Laws are not what counts. Instead, it is what you actually do that will be judged, considering all of the circumstances of the event.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

You're absolutely right. If you read the Pauline writings or John or much of Acts, it is all about building the Franchise, the bureaucracy.It's a shame that, as you say, a bureaucracy can't sell that horse.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

And that is where you are wrong. There is evidence for rejecting many parts of the Bible. There is absolutely overwhelming evidence for rejecting the conquest of Canaan as described in the Bible, just as one example.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

I disagree. I think the key message of the Bible is that we know good from evil, that we have a responsibility to do good, that everyone is forgiven. Salvation is assured unless someone really fails to try to do what's right.There is no wrath of GOD.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

No although the Bible does support that interpretation. Salvation, forgiveness, was freely granted, granted to all mankind.Jesus died because humans rejected him.Jesus lived to try to explain to us what I outlined in my first paragraph, that the lesson is Love GOD and love others as you love yourself.It really is as simple as that.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion

You cannot separate the two.If you read the Bible and find stories such as the Conquest of Canaan for where ther is absolute evidence that it did not happen as described, then you cannot accept the book as literally true except through complete willfull ignorance. You must totally suspend rational thought.In that situation you have moved from reasonable consideration into the realm of unquestioned belief. While there is no evidence at all for the resurrection, there is positive evidence that the Conquest of Canaan did not happen. To believe it did is to deny existing evidence, willfull ignorance.To belief in the resurection is an act of Faith, but not of ignorance.

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Aslan is not a Tame Lion